Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-03

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Tomorrow might shall the jaclcals laugh
as they crunch your ribs"
When the Lygonani had gone one Of us
thought of opening the basket he had brought
as proof that Flossie was really their prls-
oner. On lifting the lid, it was found to
contain most lovely specimen of both bulb
and flower of the Goya lily, which have
already described in full bloom and quite
lninjured, and what was more, note in
Flossie's childish hand, written in pencil upon
q greasy piece of paper that had been used to
wrap up some food in.
Dearest Father and Mother" ran the note
'The Nasal caught us when we were coming
home with the lily. tried TO escape, but could
not. They killed Tom; the other man ran away.
They have not hurt nurse and me, but say that
they mean to exchange us against one Of Mr..
Quatermain's party / will have nothing of the
sort. Do not let anybody give his life for me.
Try and attack them at night; they are going TO
| feast on three bullocls they have stolen and
killed. l have my pistol, and IL no help comes
by dawn will shoot myself. They shall not kill
me- If so, remember me always. dearest father
and mother am very frightened, but trust in
| God. dare not write any more, as they are be-
| ginning to notice. Goodby. FLossIE.n
| Scrawled across tho outside of this was,
"Love to Mr.. Qautermain. They are going
to take up the basket, so he will get the lily"
When / read these words, written by that
brave little girl in an hour of danger suffi-
GENTLY near and horrible to have turned the
brain of strong man, own wept, and
once moro in my heart l vowed that she
should not die while my life could be given to
save her.
Then eagerly, quickly, almost fercely, we
fell to discussing the situation. Again ! said
that would go, and again Mackenzie mega
lived it, and Curtis and Good, like the true
men that they are, vowed that, il did, they
would go with me, and die back to back with
me.
at is" said ct last, absolutely necessary
that an effort of some sort should be made
before the morning"
"Then let US attack them with what force
we can muster, and take our chance" said
Sir Henry
cay ay," growled Umslopogaas, in Zulu
spoken like a man. Incubu. What is there
10 be afraid of Two hundred and fifty
Nasal, forsoothl How many are we9 The
chief there" (Mr. Mackenzie) "has twenty
men, and thou, Macumazahn, hast five men,
and there are also five white men-that is,
thirty men in all-enough, enough Listen
now, Macumazahn thou who art very clever
and old in war. What says the maid? These
men eat and make merry; let it be their fu-
neral feast. What said the dog whom l hope
to hew down at daybreakl That he feared
no attack because we were so few. Knowest
thou the old kraal where the men have
campeda saw it this morning; it is thus"
and he drew an oval on the floor; "here is the
big entrance, filled up with thorn bushes and
opening on to a steep rise. Why, Incubu,
thou and 1 with axes will hold it against an
hundred men striving to break outl Look,
now, thus shall the battle go. Just as the
light begins to CLINT upon the oxen's horns
not before, or it will be too dark, and not
later, or they will be awakening and perceive
ls--let Bougwan creep round with ten men
to the top end Of the kraal, where the narrow
entrance IS Let item silently slay the sentry
there, so that he makes no sound, and stand
ready. Then, Incubu, let thee and me and
one of the AsksTi--the one with the broad
chest-he 10 O brave man--creep to the wide
entrance that Is filed with thorn bushes, and
there also STAY the sentry, and armed with
battle axes, take our stand also one on each
side OF the pathway, and one few PAGES be-
yond, to deal with such as pass the twain at
tho gate. 1t is there that tho rush will come
That viii leave sixteen men. Let these men
be divided into two parties, with one Of
which shalt thou go, Macumazahn, and with
one the praying mani" (NIr. Mackenzie),
"and, all armed with rifles, let them make
their way one to the right side of the kraal
and one to the left; and when thou, Macuma-
zahn, lowest like an OK, oil shall open fire
with the guns upon the sleeping men, being
very careful not to hit tho little maid. Then
shall Bougwan at the far end and his ten men
raise their war cry, and, springing over the
wall, put the Nasal there to the sword And it
shall happen that, being yet heavy with food
and sleep, and bewildered by the firing of the
guns, tho falling of men and the spears Of
Bougwan, the soldiers shall rise and rush like
wild game toward the thorn stopped entrance,
and there the bullets from either side shall
plow through them, and there shall Incabu
and the Askaii and / wait for those who
break though Such is my plan, Macuma-
zahn; il thou hast better, name it."
When be had done, / explained to the
others such portions of this scheme 80 they
had failed to understand, and they all Joined
with me in expressing the greatest admira
ton of the acute and slSillfuI programme de
vised by the old Zulu, who was, indeed, in hi;
own savage fashion, the finest general | ever
knew. After some discussion we determined
to accept the scheme as it stood, 1t being the
only one possible under the circumstances
and giving the best chance Of success thai
such a forlorn hope would admit of-which
however, considering the enormous odds and
, the character of our foe, was not very great
@Ah, old lionF / said to Umslopogaas
"thou knowest how to lie in wait as well a
how to bite, where to seize as well as wher
to hang on"
GAY, ay, Macumazahn," he answered. @Fo
thirty years have been warrior, and hav
|, seen many things It will be a good fight
! l smell blood tell thee, 1 smell blood"
CHAPTER VI
: TEE NIGHT WEARS ON